The Solway

[wildfowler.250]

What’s the story with the scottish side of the solway and access? I know wigtown bay is a LNR and permit required. Is the rest essentially free shooting as long as there’s somewhere reasonable to park? I believe there’s the odd club down that way and I’ve heard locals can be a bit miffed about folk shooting it free of charge but there also seems to be a lot of folk doing so? Seems to be a popular destination for folk from down south to come up to?

 

Asking mainly for interest as it’s a good 2 hours each way. Is it as bad for cowboys as everyone makes out?

 

Not long now folks!

 

 

[ratty1]

You can buy a permit from the  Scottish solway wildfowling association. Its cheap and easy to obtain. I think you need to give a few weeks notice these days,  some one on here will be have a number,  I used to to just phone Mr cambel and pop up to his house. I don't think you can do that now. 

 

No point trying to access it for free, as you say it won't go down well with the locals and I agree with them. 

[wildfowler.250]

3 minutes ago, ratty1 said:

You can buy a permit from the  Scottish solway wildfowling association. Its cheap and easy to obtain. I think you need to give a few weeks notice these days,  some one on here will be have a number,  I used to to just phone Mr cambel and pop up to his house. I don't think you can do that now. 

 

No point trying to access it for free, as you say it won't go down well with the locals and I agree with them. 

Cheers! Thanks for the reply and handy to know re permits!

 

I don’t mind paying for a permit as wildfowling is cheap compared to any other form of shooting. Playing devil’s advocate though, if the shooting is free below high tide and you can find a grass verge to park on; surely there must be lots of people accessing the shore for free? I join my local clubs from a support point of view but there’s very little I could do if a non-club member decided to access the shore below the sea wall,(in fact lots of locals do). Surely the vast number of folk visiting aren’t all taking permits?

 

Is wigtown the only LNR down that way?

[Pushandpull]

Caerlaverock is a reserve with controlled wildfowling. Google "caerlaverock wildfowling permits" and be aware that SNH is about to be rebranded Naturescot soo.

There are places you can just "park and shoot" elsewhere but local advice will help. Ask BASC Scotland if you are a member.

[ratty1]

I think technically there's nothing stopping you from accessing the merse and there are places you can park to do so, I think the majority do buy permits though. Makes accessibility much better and you will get left alone. 

 

As for lnr. There caerlavaloch which you can apply to shoot like Wigtown 

[wildfowler.250]

4 hours ago, Pushandpull said:

Caerlaverock is a reserve with controlled wildfowling. Google "caerlaverock wildfowling permits" and be aware that SNH is about to be rebranded Naturescot soo.

There are places you can just "park and shoot" elsewhere but local advice will help. Ask BASC Scotland if you are a member.

 

4 hours ago, ratty1 said:

I think technically there's nothing stopping you from accessing the merse and there are places you can park to do so, I think the majority do buy permits though. Makes accessibility much better and you will get left alone. 

 

As for lnr. There caerlavaloch which you can apply to shoot like Wigtown 

Cheers gents! Good to know. Is there much that goes on between caerlaverock and Gretna? There’s a fair strip of ground there but most folk tend to talk about wigtown

[Pushandpull]

You need to have a away day with a couple of maps. There is great deal of coast between Wigtown and Gretna.

[Donkey]

For the price get a day ticket and support local clubs 

[Pushandpull]

Donkey. In certain areas a club permit will allow access to parking and thus access to the merse. However, this does not apply everywhere. Day tickets in Scotland are in general (outwith certain reserves) not the same as in England where a club will hold an exclusive lease to the foreshore.

[shakin stevens]

Crook of baldoon is accessible at wigtown , but I would still buy a permit for the reserve, that would give you plenty to go at . 

[Dave at kelton]

I am Chairman of Scottish Solway wildfowlers and a wildfowling monitor on Caerlaverock. If you are thinking of coming up PM me. We do issue tickets at a small charge details Of how you apply are on the SSWA website. SNH issue free visitors permits commencing 1 October by application. If the geese are in on the Reserve and using the Merse there is good controlled shooting and no silly high stuff. 
 

cheers

Dave

[boo]

The solway is a beautiful place to sit out at any time of the season, it's not just geese but duck too , especially in the morning  on first light , listening to the birds wake up , the hills of the lakes opposite in the morning light ! I'm now into my 33rd year as a member of the Sswa, and still learning the marshes, know your tides, heights etc , and dont be were you shouldn't when the tide  pushes or you will be in for a surprise! Luckily the silly shooting of years ago has mainly stopped, and have shot mid week and not seen a soul , these days to be honest I've let duck & geese go by , doesn't seem the same urgency as when I was 20 ,  be prepared to see otters out & about, deer feeding on the merse , peregrins hunting the foreshore , widgeon whistling& pintail on the tide , great place to loose yourself & chill for a morning /day ...its not all about the goose.

[wildfowler.250]

13 hours ago, Dave at kelton said:

I am Chairman of Scottish Solway wildfowlers and a wildfowling monitor on Caerlaverock. If you are thinking of coming up PM me. We do issue tickets at a small charge details Of how you apply are on the SSWA website. SNH issue free visitors permits commencing 1 October by application. If the geese are in on the Reserve and using the Merse there is good controlled shooting and no silly high stuff. 
 

cheers

Dave

Cheers Dave! Doubt I’ll get down any time soon but I’ve got a mate with a place in kirkcudbright that might tie in a trip at some point. Would be nice to see the place. 

7 hours ago, boo said:

The solway is a beautiful place to sit out at any time of the season, it's not just geese but duck too , especially in the morning  on first light , listening to the birds wake up , the hills of the lakes opposite in the morning light ! I'm now into my 33rd year as a member of the Sswa, and still learning the marshes, know your tides, heights etc , and dont be were you shouldn't when the tide  pushes or you will be in for a surprise! Luckily the silly shooting of years ago has mainly stopped, and have shot mid week and not seen a soul , these days to be honest I've let duck & geese go by , doesn't seem the same urgency as when I was 20 ,  be prepared to see otters out & about, deer feeding on the merse , peregrins hunting the foreshore , widgeon whistling& pintail on the tide , great place to loose yourself & chill for a morning /day ...its not all about the goose.

Couldn’t agree more. Perfect zone out time!

 

 

Cheers for the replies folks. Handy just to know what the general protocol for the area was. Will need to get out for a duck flight one of these years!

 

 

[Dave at kelton]

8 hours ago, boo said:

The solway is a beautiful place to sit out at any time of the season, it's not just geese but duck too , especially in the morning  on first light , listening to the birds wake up , the hills of the lakes opposite in the morning light ! I'm now into my 33rd year as a member of the Sswa, and still learning the marshes, know your tides, heights etc , and dont be were you shouldn't when the tide  pushes or you will be in for a surprise! Luckily the silly shooting of years ago has mainly stopped, and have shot mid week and not seen a soul , these days to be honest I've let duck & geese go by , doesn't seem the same urgency as when I was 20 ,  be prepared to see otters out & about, deer feeding on the merse , peregrins hunting the foreshore , widgeon whistling& pintail on the tide , great place to loose yourself & chill for a morning /day ...its not all about the goose.

Well said it is what stole my heart over 40 years ago!

[marsh man]

On 23/08/2020 at 10:13, Dave at kelton said:

Well said it is what stole my heart over 40 years ago!

That is the thing , if the sights and sounds in your blood from a early age they will stay with you for ever , I wander up the estuary just about every day of my life and still find something of interest , many a time in the Summer I go up there just to see the sunset and they never cease to amaze me , we once had a bloke come to one of the clubs meeting and done a film show with nothing but sunsets and each one was from the same place , the desire to shoot fowl now is like after a full moon , on the wane but I have paid my dues for this season and I will still get a duck and a goose if and when I want one and it will be a unbroken run from 1964 when I joined the club I am in now as a junior member , fair ole while ago .

[Dave at kelton]

12 hours ago, marsh man said:

That is the thing , if the sights and sounds in your blood from a early age they will stay with you for ever , I wander up the estuary just about every day of my life and still find something of interest , many a time in the Summer I go up there just to see the sunset and they never cease to amaze me , we once had a bloke come to one of the clubs meeting and done a film show with nothing but sunsets and each one was from the same place , the desire to shoot fowl now is like after a full moon , on the wane but I have paid my dues for this season and I will still get a duck and a goose if and when I want one and it will be a unbroken run from 1964 when I joined the club I am in now as a junior member , fair ole while ago .

Exactly the point. I booked to come up during the last cold weather ban and before I lived here. Came up anyway just took a camera out instead of a gun. Just could not stay away.